Case Studies

'Orange Peel' Effect on Coated Window Frames

Problem:	Client experienced ‘orange peel’ effect on new batches of coated metal window frames.
Approach:	A comparative analysis was done on the “good” and “bad” bare metal substrates. FTIR analysis was done to analyze for the presence of contamination and surface roughness was characterized.
Conclusion:	We determined the surface of both the “good” and “bad” substrates were contaminated with the same hydrocarbon oil, typically used in metal parts manufacturing. However, the “bad” sample contained four times the amount of oil. In addition, the “bad” sample had a much higher profile peak density, which might have accounted for the higher level of oil contamination on the metal surface. Both the high peak density and the degree of oil contamination on the surface accounted for the ‘orange peel’ effect.
Benefits to Customer:	The client was able to minimize the amount of oil on the metal surface to eliminate the undesirable ‘orange peel’ effect.